I Was My Husband

• Prize
  Gold in Book/People, 2nd Place winner in Book
• Photographer
  Valter Darbe
• Photo Date
  2015-2019
• Website
  https://www.flickr.com/photos/darbe_valter/

The modern Indian society seems to be not able to modify some aspects belonging to the most orthodox Hindu culture, according to which, a widow no longer has any right nor social utility, and loose her identity when the husband die. They are 42 Mln: kicked out of houses, stolen from properties, they are banned from all social moments of life. A phenomenon that crosses all social classes, doubly enclosed within the walls of the ashrams and the cultural prisons of a society that prefers to make them "invisible" rather than questioning themselves. This is the first reportage from inside ashrams.

• Biography
  Bachelor degree in photography and master in “Science, technology and communication”. Advertising, portrait and still photographer. Start artistic production in 1991 with a project focused on archetypes of emotions, which was noteworthy at national and international level with solo and group exhibitions. Now more involved in social photography, I'm engaged as board member of Six Degrees, an international association of war and social reporters. My most recent project is a long term one focused on relationship between women’s condition & religion, and on the social impacts of Silk Roads.
• Awards
  EXHIBITIONS / BOOKS - Turin Biennial of Photography (1992 only); - Labyrinthe Gallery (Lousanne 1994); - Festival de la Photografie "Images 1995" in Vevey (CH) where he exhibits alongside Jean Loup Sieff with the solo show "Les portraiot de l’incoscience". - Fine Art Imnages Gallery (Chieri 2019); Milanofotofestival 2020 Raw Space; Municipality of Florence as part of the Festival of Rights as a testimony project for the International Day against violence against women; Ethical Photography Festival 2020 Off circuit. - 2019 Archaeological Museum of Aosta with personal exhibition with Reportage in Afghanistan entitled "A fragile strip of peace" - Cover and illustration of the book "For a new interpretation of dreams" published by Moretti & Vitali in 2007. - Book entitles "I was my husband" AWARDS 2018 Malta International Photo Award - Top 25 Storytelling 2018 Selected by National Geographic Award Italia 2019 Prix de la Photographie Paris – Bronze / Storytelling "I Was my Husband" 2019 Prix de la Photographie Paris – Bronze / People "Afghan interior" 2019 Prix de la Photographie Paris – Honorable Mention for book "I Was my Husband" 2019 IPA – Honorable Mention section Deeper Perspective with storytelling "I Was my Husband" 2019 IPA – Honorable Mention section People-Family with "Afghan Interior" 2019 IPA – Honorable Mention section People-Life style with "Afghan House" 2019 IPA – Honorable Mention section Tradition-Culture with "Afghan Family" 2019 IPA – Honorable Mention section People-Family with "Afghan Family" 2019 IPA – Honorable Mention section Travel-Wanderlust with "Afghan House" 2020 BIFA – Winner 1st Place section book with "I Was my Husband" 2020 BIFA – Winner Best New Talent category book with "I Was my Husband" 2020 BIFA - Gold Winner category Book-People 2020 TIFA - Gold Winner category Book-People 2020 TIFA - Silver 2nd Place category book 2022 MIFA - GOLD AWARD BOOK DOCUMENTARY 2022 MIFA- EDITOR PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR